Philadelphia highway protesters are the latest out-of-control left-wing activism
Christopher Tremoglie
Protesters from Jewish Voice for Peace blocked traffic on Interstate 76 on Thursday afternoon, multiple Philadelphia media outlets reported. The demonstration was part of the organization’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza for the military conflict Hamas initiated on Oct. 7. More than 30 people linked arms in the middle of the three-lane highway. It caused significant delays, disrupted the p.m. commute, and interrupted the lives of innocent people who just wanted to return home to their families on a Thursday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, about 150 people from the group put banners over Philadelphia’s Spring Garden Street Bridge that read “Ceasefire Now” and “Let Gaza Live,” WPVI reported. There did not appear to be any banners or people illegally disrupting traffic to support the innocent people who were murdered and butchered by the terrorist group Hamas. So, it seems Jewish Voice for Peace only wants peace insofar as it aligns with a radical political orthodoxy.
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However, these protesters are part of a bigger problem: arrogant and self-centered left-wing protesters who feel they have the right to block traffic. My colleague Zachary Faria wrote about these unfortunate and illegal rabble-rousing incidents earlier this week.
“The pathetic trend of protesters blocking traffic for any number of terrible causes is dangerous for everyone involved and embarrassing for the cities that allow them to happen,” Faria wrote. “City leaders must start throwing the book at people blocking traffic before things turn deadly.”
To say that I agree with him would be an understatement. He mentioned the protest in Los Angeles on the 110 Freeway this week, where 75 people were arrested. At Philadelphia’s protest, approximately 3,000 miles away, 30 people were arrested. Both demonstrations were organized by groups that shared the same beliefs and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. It’s indicative of just how organized and dedicated those on the Left are to their mission.
This is a very meticulous and carefully planned movement. The agitators don’t care who or what they inconvenience while participating in their activism. Nevertheless, that shouldn’t mean they should not be held accountable for their actions or, more importantly, be deterred from organizing such events.
However, it appears protesters, rioters, and other civil disobedient disruptors on the Left don’t experience harsh criminal justice penalties. Some might even say that this perception of law enforcement weakness enables the Left’s chaos. If they know they will suffer little punishment for their actions, then there is no impetus not to continue such acts.
At some point, law enforcement or government officials must make it known that we have freedom of speech in this country and the right to assemble peaceably. However, blocking lanes of traffic, inconveniencing, and, more importantly, endangering the lives of people all because of a particular left-wing grievance is not a right. They must be held accountable. Faria’s salient recommendation to “throw the book at every protester who blocks traffic” is a good start.